HTSASCHWB 06

Chapter 6

“Are you waiting for someone by any chance?”

“Ah, yes! They usually pass by around this time, but they’re a little late today.”

The customer who had just received a freshly baked bungeoppang anxiously looked around.

Apparently, there was someone they really wanted to give this delicious pastry to.

‘Ah, youth.’

Watching them bounce nervously on their feet because they wanted to deliver it before it got cold naturally brought a smile to my face.

I couldn’t help wondering who the lucky person receiving that bungeoppang would be.

“Ah! There they are!”

Not long after, the customer’s face brightened instantly.

Then they ran up to someone and thrust out the bag of bungeoppang as if making a confession.

“H-Hunter Ria! Please take this!”

…The person they wanted to gift it to was Hunter Ria?

The woman with wheat-colored hair tied up in a high ponytail was Ria Minogue, the ace offensive hunter belonging to Team 1 led by Hunter Lee Hyunwoo.

Her mother was Korean, so she spoke fluent Korean despite being Australian. She was famous for her cold personality, which contrasted sharply with her beautiful appearance.

And there was one more thing she was known for.

‘She said she came to Korea to see Hunter Lee Hyunwoo, right?’

When asked why an A-rank hunter from Australia had come all the way to Korea, she had confidently answered exactly that.

“Australian A-Rank Ria Minogue: ‘I came to Korea to see an S-rank hunter!’”

“‘I want to meet Hunter Lee Hyunwoo.’ Ria Minogue’s shy confession.”

With just that one statement, countless articles had flooded the internet.

For a while, if you searched her name, “Lee Hyunwoo” immediately appeared in the related searches.

Of course, unlike the reporters’ romantic assumptions, it later turned out she simply wanted to challenge him and test her strength against his—not because of admiration or affection.

Still, it was true that many people admired her for her straightforward personality and bold ambition to compete against an S-rank hunter.

“Mm, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Ria calmly accepted the bag from the blushing hunter.

Without much change in expression, she gave a small nod, looking very accustomed to situations like this.

Once Hunter Ria disappeared from sight, the hunter who had given her the gift staggered slightly.

“I didn’t mess up, right?”

“Mess up? You were perfect!”

Watching them shyly chatter afterward made them look exactly like a fangirl who had just met their favorite celebrity.

The sight was so cute that I let out a quiet laugh.

At my reaction, Hanyang tilted his head as if asking what was so funny.

“A hunter loved by other hunters… that’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

“Who? That girl from earlier, nya?”

“Yeah. I heard she’s incredibly skilled, and she never skips training either. She must be really disciplined.”

“You can’t tell everything from appearances alone, nya.”

Muttering meaningfully, Hanyang stared in the direction Ria had disappeared.

“Why? Is something bothering you?”

“Hmmm…”

Rarely, Hanyang hesitated before speaking.

“That girl is suffering a great deal right now, nya.”

Suffering? Hunter Ria?

I was curious, but Hanyang stubbornly kept his mouth shut after that.

“What the heck! Don’t make me curious and then refuse to explain!”

“Even if I don’t tell you, you’ll figure it out soon enough, nya.”

I subtly glared at Hanyang, trying not to make it obvious.

‘It’s not like I’m a mind reader! How am I supposed to know why she’s suffering!?’

But as time passed, even I began to feel something strange whenever I saw Hunter Ria.

“I’d like the same one I had last time.”

“Yes! One red bean bungeoppang, right?”

It seemed she had really liked the pastry she’d received as a gift, because Ria began lining up at the stall fairly often.

But while waiting for her order, she suddenly frowned and pressed hard against her eyelids.

‘She looks exhausted again today.’

She seemed determined not to let others notice her condition, pretending everything was fine.

But she couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes or the red veins filling the whites of them.

She looked like someone who hadn’t slept properly in at least a week.

“Hunter, are you heading to training again today?”

“You only improve if you move your body every day.”

She answered firmly.

But strangely, her tone didn’t sound like an answer to me.

It sounded more like an order she was giving herself.

Like a command forcing her exhausted body to keep moving.

“…That’s really impressive.”

I answered as though admiring her, but honestly, she looked like someone who needed rest more than anyone else.

Still, I barely knew her. It wasn’t my place to recklessly offer advice.

I swallowed the worried words rising in my throat.

“Here’s your red bean bungeoppang. It’s hot, so please be careful.”

Instead, I quickly packed the freshly baked pastry and handed it over.

But the moment she reached out to take the bag—

“Ah.”

Ria suddenly staggered slightly.

Looking dizzy, she pressed a hand to her head and closed her eyes briefly to steady her breathing.

“Hunter! Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Almost instantly, her expression returned to normal as she accepted the bag.

Still, she looked desperately in need of rest.

“Hunter, maybe you should take a little time to rest—”

“I don’t have the luxury of resting leisurely.”

At my cautious suggestion, she firmly shook her head.

Then, as if signaling she had no intention of continuing the conversation, she immediately turned and walked toward the Management Bureau.

‘Is she really okay?’

She had been dizzy enough to stumble, yet she was still going to train immediately afterward.

Watching her retreating figure, I muttered quietly:

“…She looks dangerously unstable somehow.”

Ding—

At that moment, a status window popped up in front of me without warning.

MISSION

Sleepless Nights

Unlock a special effect for a hunter who has forgotten how to rest peacefully.

• Target: Ria Minogue
• Status (Danger): Insomnia, accumulated fatigue, anxiety
• Required Materials: 20 Solsol Grass
• Reward: 1,000P
• Failure: Unable to unlock special effect (Permanent)

A mission all of a sudden?

Unlock a special effect?

And apparently Hunter Ria’s condition was serious enough that her status was marked in red with the word “Danger.”

“So… I can solve Hunter Ria’s problem?”

It seemed like if I obtained this “Solsol Grass” or whatever it was, I could give her some kind of special effect.

As I blinked blankly at the screen, Hanyang spoke up.

“A mission finally appeared, nya?”

“You knew about missions?”

“Hmph. Didn’t I tell you you’d soon get a chance to earn points, nya?”

Only then did I notice the reward section at the bottom.

The mission reward was points.

A whopping 1,000 points.

If converted into money…

Gah!

“Y-You really get this much? Just for collecting some grass?”

“You can’t exchange these points into human currency, so stop dreaming, nya.”

“…Ah. Right.”

For a second, I thought I was about to become rich overnight.

Still, with 1,000 points, I could buy the bungeoppang mold I wanted from Afterlife Dot Com and still have points left over for something else.

It wasn’t just a good reward.

It was the perfect reward for me.

“But what’s Solsol Grass? I’ve never heard of it before.”

To complete the mission, I needed something called “Solsol Grass,” but even the name sounded unfamiliar.

I couldn’t find any information about it online either.

“Select it in the system window, nya.”

Following Hanyang’s instructions, I clicked on “Solsol Grass.”

The screen changed, and a detailed description appeared.

Solsol Grass

A magical sleeping herb that gently lulls people to sleep.

Its stem shines with a bluish silver hue, while its leaves are soft and round like clouds.

• Habitat: Gate “Red Plains” [Enter]
• (Image)

Wait.

As I read the description, I rubbed my eyes.

“Do I have to enter a gate to get this material?”

Hanyang nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I stared at him in horror.

I’m F-rank, though?

There’s no way I can enter a gate with stats like mine!